The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) supports the academic success of students of color at the University of Chicago and works to build an inclusive campus community. OMSA's programs focus on enriching students' experiences and encouraging cross-cultural dialogue on campus. OMSA serves and advocates for all African American, Asian American, Latino, and Native American students who attend the College, Graduate divisions, and Professional Schools.
OMSA executes its mission in collaboration with other departments within the University of Chicago. All students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the University are welcome to partner with OMSA in advancing its efforts to support students of color.
Pillars
- Advocacy | OMSA works with other campus divisions to ensure that each is aware of and responsive to the needs of students of color. The office coordinates a student advisory board to inform the director and university administration of the needs of students of color. If you are interested in being a part of the advisory board, please contact OMSA’s Director, Ana Vázquez. In addition, staff members are part of the Bias Response Team, which actively addresses issues of hate and bias on campus.
- Cultural Awareness & Dialogue | OMSA collaborates with various University of Chicago partners and culturally-oriented student organizations to initiate and nurture dialogue on diversity issues and to shed light on the concerns of students of color. Our programs include a quarterly Men and Women of Color Dialogues and Graduate Student Dialogues. Please visit the OMSA Events Calendar for dates and times of OMSA programs.
- Academic & Professional Enhancement | OMSA offers many programs designed to support students' academic pursuits including the Research Initiative Grant, Diversity in the Workplace Conference and the Chicago Multicultural Connection (CMC) mentoring program.
- Community Building | OMSA strives to design programs that engage students of color and that encourage them to establish friendships and share experiences. OMSA coordinates a variety of community building programs including Graduate Student Socials and Mixers and Quarterly Study Breaks.
- Information Clearinghouse | The OMSA web site offers a wealth of information to our constituents. We provide information about internships, fellowships and scholarships as well as opportunities for employment. In addition, we offer a bi-monthly newsletter and two blogs that are updated on a daily basis.
